Process of making lasts.



No. 882,274. PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

, J. J. SMITH.

PROCESS OP MAKING LASTS.`

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 8, 1906. RENBWBD SEPT. 9. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 882,274. PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

J. J. SMITH.

PROCESS 0F MAKING LASTS. APPLICATION FILED 1320.8, 1906. RBNEWBD SEPT. 9, 1907.

4f W. W uw@ @IDD Qvi-bnconco No. 882,274. PATENTED MAR. I7, 1908. J. J. SMITH.'

PROCESS 0F MAKING LASTS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8, 1906. RENEWED SEPT. 9. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

malta/Leones movable filler-piece which, when in UNITED sTArEsf Pigmvr OFFICE.

JOSEPH J. SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N.

PROCESS OF MAKING LASTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Maren 17, 190s.

, Application led December 8, 1906, Serial N. 346,852. Renewed September 9,'1907. Serial No. 392,045.4

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it' known that I,JosEPH J. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Mal ing Lasts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process. of mal(- ing sectional lasts for boots and shoes, and especially lasts such as described in my application, Serial No. 301,580, which have a contracting fore-part together with a relace, expands and completes the contour di the last in its normal condition for forming the shoe thereon, and when removed, ermits the collapse of the fore-part to enab e it to be more readily removed from theshoe or reinserted therein.

In carrying out my .process in the preferred form in which it is hereinafter described I first turn the last from the block onl the usualv last-turning lathe or by other suitable method reduce 1t to the form of a last which is larger in both length and breadth than the ultimate intended size. This may be done from a model -having the proper form of the last by making adjustments on the turning-lathe such as-.are famlliar to those acquainted with the art.I I then saw the last vertically in two places from end to f end so as to divide it into a middle-piece and two side-pieces, and then, after sawing one of the side-pieces transversely at about the instep to separate the movable fore-part section from the heel-part, and also dividing the middle-piece into two parts to make a removable fore-part filler-member and a heel-part member, I secure the heel part of th'e middle-piece by glue .and dowels between one of the side-pieces and the heel part of the other side-piece, after having previously attached a guiding device for connecting the movable fore-part section to the heel section and having inserted certain automatic fasteners and performed suitable boring operations for the reception of screws, etc. I thenassemble practlcally the whole last with its parts rigidly secured in place and subject it to a second turning operation which reduces the last practicall t-its ultimate size, afterV which it is surface-finished in the usual fashion and the temporary inte- 55 rior fasteningsremoved to release the rei I movable filler and permit the expansible last to be operated in its intended manner.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan view showing the last after performing the first-turning step of my process. Fig. 2 represents the same, after being sawed longitudinally. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of the middlepiece after being mar"'ed and bored. Fig. 4 represents a side elevation showing the fore and heel parts of the middle-piece after having been separated and the automatic fasteners or catch-members applied. Fig. 5 represents an inner side elevation of the outer side-.piece after being marked,l bored, and recessed. Fig. 6 represents a similar view of this piece with its fore and heel parts Iseparated and the slide-plate applied to the fore-part. Fig. 7 represents a top plan View showing the heel parts re-assembled. Fig.

8 re resents a horizontal section showing the.

who e llast assembled for second turning. Fig. 9 represents a top plan view of the finished last.-l Fig. 10 represents a horizontal section thereof. Fig. 11 represents a median vertical section thereof.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

'In the drawings, Fig-1 indicates the last in a first-turned condition to which it is reduced on the turning-lathe by using the ordinary model for a last of the ultimate size and shape, and so arranging the machine as to turn it too large throughout. -It may be turned about one-half size too long and three sizes too full, and the projections 21 at the two ends for the lathe-centers are left on during the early steps of manufacture, so as to allow the last to be mounted in jigs for the rapid and accurate erformance of subseuent operations. T e purpose of turning t e last too large is mainly to allow for the kerf or thickness of the saw clefts made by the next operation. The .ultimate dimensions are illustrated, for example, by the dotted line 28. This first turningis preferably not a rough turning, as last-makers understand the term, which means the original turning from the' log on an ordinary lathe, resulting in the last blockI somewhat resembling a last but not turned from a model and having no very definite relation to the ultimate last exce tthat these blocks are roughly graded iferent sizes for large and small lastsQ`l My rstjturning as I prefer to into inner and outer side-pieces 24,25 and a' middle-piece 26. The latter is preferably recess between .beveled at 39 to made slightly tapered or wed e-shaped, with its smaller end at the toe of t e last to allow for the feasy insertion and withdrawal of the filler piece hereinafter mentioned, constituted by the front half of the middle-piece.

With the last separated into three pieces throughout its length I am enabled to perform certain otherwise difficult orimpracticable sawing and other-operations upon the several pieces. One class of these is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 and consists in marking out with templets the sawing lines 29, 30 (Fig. 3) on the middle-piece 26 for dividing and recessing this piece, and boring a'hole 31 near the crown for making a catch abutment and a second hole 32 inthe ball portion for receivin acatch-socket member. Fig. 4 shows t e middle-piece sawed across from top to bottom, to separate it into a foreart section 33 constituting the removable lerpiece of the last, and a heel-part section 3,4 which is subsequently incorporated permanently in the heel part ofthe last. One of these parts is re-sawed to make a cavity or the two middle parts with to and bottom walls integral with one or,the other of said parts, which cavity contains the spring-catch 35 on the heel-part seotion`34 adapted to engage theabutment 36 on the iiller piece 33, and also contains certain transverse members indicated in Fig.l l10. At any convenient time the side of the fillerpiece 33 is recessed or beveled at 37 from the socket-hole 32 toward the toeand the socketpiece 38 for the lower spring-catch is inserted. The same face is also recessed or facilitate insertion of the toe of the iiller-piecepast the catch which engages socket 38. A

' Another class of operations permitted by separating the last longitudinally into pieces 5 andy 6, showing the With a suitable temface of this piece is marked is illustrated in Figs.

plet the inner at 40 with a V-shaped line for the cut which separates the movable fore-part section from the heel-part of the side-piece. A hole 41 is bored near the waist ofl this piece for the reception of a transverse guide-pin, 'and a recess 42 is bored or routed on the inner face for the reception of the slide-plate to -engage this pin. Fig. 6 shows the side-piece sawed -piece with the heel across with a V-cut tosseparate the fore and heel parts 43, 44, and alsoindicates the sideplate 45 above-mentioned, screwed to` the fore-part section 43. The V-cleft between the two parts is made along planes with horizontal elements verse axis of the the fore-part 43 theball portion pressin last in ordertoreadily clear from theheel-part 44 when f 'thelast is collapsed by y. The V-shaped cleft constitutes a joint with complemental salient. and reentrant portions giving aiirm seat lfor the4 movable fore-part section 43 to resist vertical strains in both directions, last is subjected during the manufacture of a shoe thereon, and the slide-plate 45 and its pin 46 (Fig. 10) serve to tie the section 43 to the section 44l and guide it thereon during the expanding and collapsing movements.'

The neXt step consists in assembling and re-unitin permanently the innerside-piece .the'fore-part or movable section 43v to which the at a slight angle to the trans- 24 and t e heel part 44 of the outer .sidepart 34 of the middlepiece betweeni them, as indicated in Fig. 7. These pieces tactin faces andJheld alined under pressure until t e glue is dry, by a'temporary pin 47 and bolt 48 placed in the two do'wel-holes 22 hereinbefore mentioned. After the lue is dry permanent wooden dowels 55 `ig. 8) are forced and glued into of said pin and bolt.

time previous to this operation a spring bolt 49 (Fig. 8) is mounted in a hole drilled for'it are glued together on their con'- these holes in place At any convenient in the inner face of the side-piece 24 toengage thesocket-piece 38, hereinbefore mentioned, in the removable filler-piece 33, and suitable holes are vdrilledfor, the temporary .wood-screws 50, 51 next to be mentioned.

The last is now ready to be assembled for the second turning andv to this end the woodscrew 51 is inserted from the inside, binding the rear portionofthe iiller-'piece`33 to the innerside-piece 24. `YThen the movable forepart section43 is located in place and all three fore-part sections are bound together by the wood-screw 50 inserted from the outside near the toe of the last and having its head in acounter-slunk hole so as to be free of the turning tool.

The parts of the last being thus bound iirmly together in their proper alinement the last is va second time placed in the turning lathe which will now be adjusted .so as to turn the last down to its ultimate size, and after that operation is completed the last is taken out of the lathe, tions 21, 21 at heel and toe ends are'cut off and the lastis subjected to the usual abrading and polishing operations to finish off its surface. After that, the temporary screws 50 and 51 are removed, anda wooden plug 52 forced, into the counter-sunk hole for the head. of screw 5() and smoothed oii, then'dthe the centering projecside-.piece-24 and the j plate,

guide-pin 46 is forced into place, while a spring 53 is preferably inserted between the inner slide-plate 45 for forcing the movable fore-part section 43 outwardly to normally expand the ball 'portion of the last` Pin 46 is preferably tapered -toward the inner side of the last where it lentersthe hole in slide-plate 45 so that when forced into place this pin will tend to draw the movable fore-part section 43 rearwardly toa firm'seat along the faces of the V-shaped cleft 54, the said taper also facilitating the clearin of movable section 43 as it is moved inward y in collapsing the last.

The last is now complete and ready for use, its forepart being adapted to collapse in width when the filler-piece 33 is removed, to permit its ready withdrawal from the lasted or finished shoe and'its reinsertion within the shoe if desired, the last being hel-d in its normal conditionl within the shoe by the insertion ofthe filler-piece 33 which completes the contour of the last and holds the forepart in a solid expanded condition.

Certain details of manufacture such as the application of a j ack-spindle socket and heeland minor operations auxiliary to the main operations herein described, which would occur to those versed in the art of last making, have not been specifically set forth. It will be understood moreover, that the main operations may be more or less varied in their order or specilic character and will also' apply in eater or less degree to the making of lasts diering in construction from `the precise construction illustrated.

1. The process of making a sectional last which consists in first formin it in the shape of a last ofl er than the ultimate size, sawingit into a p uralityof pieces, re-assembling -said pieces', and reducing the last to its ultimate size.

i Y' 2. The process of making a sectional last whichonsists in rst turning said last from the roguglxblock toa size matesize, then saw-cutting the last into a plurality of pieces, then re-assembling said lpiece's, and finally re-turnin the last to its ultimate size and surfacenishing the returned last.

,3. The process of makin a sectional last which consists in dividing t e last' vertically lengthwise into two side-pieces and a middlepiece, dividing the middle-piece transversely into fore and heel arts, and re-assembling the heel-part of tlie middle-piece permanently with the heel parts of the side-pieces.

4. The process of making a sectional last which consists in dividing AtIie last vertically lengthwise to leave a side-piece separate from the remainder ofthe forward body of the last, then separating the forward sideportion from the heel-portion by a transverse saw-cleft so shaped as to make a joint between fore and heel parts with complemental horizontal salient and rentrant portions,

and attaching the forward side-section thus removed to the heel part.

5. The process of making a sectional last which consists in dividing the last lonfritudinally toremove a filler-piece from theorepart before the last is reduced to its ultimate size, separating one of the fore-part side-sections from the heel part, re-assembling said lastarts in rigid relation and turning the last own to its ultimate size.

/ 6. The process of making a sectional last which consists in sawing the last, before reducing it to its ultimate size, into two sidepieces and a mid'dlepiece, by. clefts extend- Vlngfrom end to en dividing the middlepiece and one of the side-pieces each into ore-part and rear-part sections, re-unitino' permanently the sections of the heel-part oli the last,'reuniting temporarily the sections of-the fore-part, turning the last to its ultimate size and finishing its surface, and finally se arating the fore-part sections.

n testimony 4whereof I have hereunto set -my hand in the Witnesses, the y8t G. W. HOPKINS,

, BLAKE.

9o Ipresence' of two subscribing 

